


Delicate

by Athena83



Category: Guardians of the Galaxy (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Angst, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Angst with a Happy Ending, F/M, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Injury
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-07
Updated: 2019-01-07
Packaged: 2019-10-06 08:57:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,489
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17342426
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Athena83/pseuds/Athena83
Summary: Yondu and reader won't admit their feelings for each other, but then someone gets hurt.





	Delicate

**Author's Note:**

> Written for @celticheart72 on tumblr. "From the tropes for Yondu how about: 'dramatically saving each other from certain death or barely surviving something that almost makes the other break down and just smirking wearily and mumbling flippant smartass remarks to HIDE THE DEPTH OF THEIR FEELINGS' combined with “BECAUSE I CARE ABOUT YOU YOU ASSHOLE!”
> 
> Title is from Damien Rice's song, "Delicate."

You were standing between Kraglin and Narblik as Yondu paced in front of his Ravagers, lecturing about the day’s mission.

“Should be a pretty easy job today.  Ain’t expectin’ no problems, long as y’all don’t screw nothin’ up.  We’re jus’ gonna go in, take out the guards, grab the goods, an’ go.”

He strode past you as he talked, and you couldn’t help admiring the dashing figure he cut in his duster.  Dragging your attention back to his face, you realized he was smirking at you.

“Got anythin’ to add, Y/N?”

Blushing furiously, but trying to play it off, you replied, “Nope.  Sounds good.”

“Good.”  He winked, then continued, “Accordin’ to the reconnaissance crew, there shouldn’t be too many guards on site at this time of day. Should be landin’ soon, so y’all go ahead an’ get ready.”

As the group of Ravagers started making their way closer to the exit, Yondu fell into step beside you.

“Saw ya enjoyin’ the view.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.  I had just zoned out while listening to you.  That happens a lot when you’re talking.”

“If any of the others said that to me, I’d send my arrow through ‘em.”

“Ya gonna kill me, Captain?”

“Nah,” he relented.   “Yer one of the only ones I got with any sense, even if ya do have a smart mouth.”

“You know you love it.”

He huffed a laugh, and shook his head.  “Didn’t know what I’s signin’ up fer when I asked ya to join my crew, that’s fer sure.”

You grinned at him, and he continued, “Think we jus’ landed.  I better get to the front before these idiots all get off the ship at the same time an’ announce to the guards we’re here.”  

“Good idea.”

He nodded at you, then began making his way to the exit doors.

You knew you shouldn’t enjoy talking to Yondu as much as you did.  Number one, he was the Captain.  Number two, you were quite sure he thought of you as just another member of his crew.

You sighed as you doublechecked that your quad blaster was in its holster on your hip, then stood on your tiptoes to see if the doors were open yet.  They were, and you could see that Kraglin was sending the crew out a few at a time.  When you reached the doors, Yondu was nowhere to be seen. You figured he’d left with the first group.

You heard Kraglin’s wrist communicator beep, and he said, “That’s the signal.  Let’s go.”

You followed Oblo, Narblik, and Horuz off the ship, as Kraglin entered the code to close the doors.  He caught up to the group, and whispered, “This way.” He pointed to the right and took the lead.  

He led the group to the edge of a large building, then began making his way alongside it. Suddenly, shouting broke out ahead, and the five of you drew your weapons.

“Careful now,” Kraglin said quietly.

As you got closer to the front of the building, the shouting grew louder, and you could hear the unmistakable sounds of weapons firing, as well as the distinct sound of Yondu’s whistle.

Kraglin reached the corner of the building, carefully stuck his head around, then motioned the group forward.  There were a couple of Ravagers fighting guards in front of the building, but clearly the main battle was inside.  The five of you took care of the few outside, then made your way into the building.  

There were definitely more guards here than the reconnaissance crew had anticipated, and you knew Yondu would not be happy with them when this was all over.  

You fired your blaster at a guard who was taking aim at Tullk, then ducked as a blast from a laser cannon flew over your head.

Taking refuge behind a stack of crates, you tried to get a feel of the room.  Obviously laser cannons were in use, but you couldn’t tell what else the guards were using.  Some of them were holding weapons you didn’t recognize.  They looked  _almost_  like regular blasters, but there was something off about them, and you couldn’t figure out the difference.  A crate above your head exploded, and you realized it wasn’t the best time to try to figure it out.  

You fired a few more rounds from your hiding place behind the crates, then spotted Yondu on the other side of the room, his arrow weaving a trail of red light around the large warehouse, bodies in its wake.  You carefully made your way closer to him, taking out a few of the guards as you moved.  

When you reached another stack of crates, you slid behind them, then edged out a little farther to fire your blaster.   The next thing you knew, you were staring at the ceiling, your body on fire.  Yondu’s face suddenly came into view.

“Y/N! Are ya okay?”

You groaned and tried to sit up.  He helped you to a sitting position, and you managed to ask, ‘Ugh, what happened?”

“Ya got hit by somethin’.  Think they got stun guns.  An’ what the hell was ya thinkin’, anyway?”

“What?”

“Should take yer share of the earnings fer that.”  

“ _What_?”

“If ya’d been more careful, this wouldn’ta happened.”  

“Are you kidding me?  You act like I wanted to get hurt!”

“I’m jus’ sayin’, it would get ya a nice break if ya had to spend some time in the infirmary.”

“Ugh, you are insufferable.  Actually, yeah, spending time in the infirmary sounds good if it means not listening to your big mouth for a while.”

“Huh, that’s what I figured.  Guess I might as well just -”  His words were cut off suddenly as he collapsed, falling across your legs.  

Between being stunned by the stun gun and your squabble with Yondu, you had completely forgotten about the battle raging around the two of you. Obviously, so had Yondu.  

“Yondu!  Yondu, please don’t be dead.”

You carefully moved him off your legs, and, still dizzy from your hit, leaned down beside him to check for a pulse.  Finding one, you breathed a sigh of relief.  He’d obviously been hit by the same type of stun gun as you.  You stood up, then did your best to pull him back behind the stack of crates.  Too heavy for you to move him any farther, you sat down next to him, and complained, “Ugh, why are you so  _heavy_?”

Even though you still felt dizzy, you knew you needed to try to help the other Ravagers.  Without Yondu and his arrow, you were afraid they would soon be overrun.  You reached for your quad blaster and cursed when you realized it was busted, obviously broken from your fall.  Tossing it aside, you reached into Yondu’s holster under his duster and pulled out the spare blaster he kept for emergencies.  “Could use your arrow right about now,” you muttered to his still-unconscious form lying beside you.

You crawled out from your hiding place, and tried to take aim at one of the guards, but you were still dizzy and were having trouble focusing.  Closing your eyes for a moment, you took a steadying breath.  Opening them again, you took aim and fired.  A crate next to Narblik exploded and you cringed.  Maybe you were more of a liability than a help right now.

“Don’t be killin’ my crew, darlin’.  Some Cap’n’s might consider that mutiny.”

You gasped and spun around on your knees, regretting it at once when the room kept spinning after you stopped moving.  Yondu was sitting up, rubbing the back of his head.

“Yondu!  Are you okay?”

“Yeah, reckon I am.”  His voice was weak, but his whistle was sharp as he sent his arrow flying to dispatch the last of the guards **.**

“Thought I’d better get rid of ‘em before ya killed ma crew… or yerself.”

Rolling your eyes, you replied, “Now I wish you’d stayed unconscious a little longer.”  You crawled closer to him, and continued, “You know, if you were more careful, this wouldn’t have happened.”

“Very funny.”

“Are you sure you’re okay?”

“Yeah.”

You wrapped an arm behind his back to help support him, and he muttered, “Damn stun guns.  Remind me to get some fer the crew.”

“They do pack quite a punch,” you replied.  

He looked at you then, and asked, “Ye okay?”

“Yeah, just dizzy.”

“Yeah, me too.”

“Yondu, I…”

“What?”

“Nothing,” you muttered.

“What is it?  I know ya got somethin’ to say.  Ya always do.”

“I’m just… glad you’re okay.”

“Dunno why you care so much.  Figured you’d ‘preciate a break from my… what was it?  My ‘big mouth’?”

“Of course I want you to be okay.  I don’t want you to die!”

“Why not?  It sure doesn’t seem like it most days.”

“Because I care about you, you asshole!”

Kraglin and Tullk chose that moment to walk behind the crates to check on the two of you, and both seemed to instantly regret it.

“Um…”

“We’ll just…”

“Get outta here, ya morons,” snapped Yondu.

They bumped into each other in their hurry to get away, and you used the distraction to get to your feet, though you were still feeling decidedly unsteady.  You started walking away from Yondu, back toward the exit. Or at least, in what you  _hoped_  was the direction of the exit.

“Where do ya think yer goin’?  Get back here!”

“No!” you shouted, not looking back.  You were way too embarrassed to face him.    

“No?” he sputtered.  “Ya can’t jus’ say somethin’ like that an’ walk away!”

You realized he was now following you, though he looked to be struggling as much as you, considering how he was swaying.  Those stun guns really  _did_  pack a punch.

“An’ ya can’t jus’ say ‘no’ to yer Cap’n,” he continued.

You’d drawn the attention of every Ravager in the room now, though they all tried to act like they couldn’t hear the two of you, as they moved among the guards scattered around the room, checking for any survivors.  

You walked past Kraglin, stumbling into him as you did.  He grabbed your arms, and said, “Whoa there, Y/N.  Ye okay?”

“I’m fine.”  You pulled away from him and kept walking, trying your best to walk in a straight line.  

“Dammit, woman, if ya don’t stop walkin’, I swear I’ll use my arrow an’  _make_  ya stop.”

“You wouldn’t dare!”

He whistled and replied, “Ya wanna take that chance, darlin’?”

You stopped at the threshold of the exit, and turned around.  You’d meant to spin angrily towards him, but only managed a halfhearted lurch in his general direction.  

“Fine!  I’m stopping!  What do you -”  You gasped as you felt an arm wrap around your throat from behind, then the cold chill of a knife pressed against your neck.

A guttural voice sounded from behind you, “Don’t even think about using that arrow, Centaurian scum.  You might kill me, but she’ll be dead before your arrow can reach me.”

You could see Yondu clench his jaw, then whistle his arrow back to its holster.  

“Whaddya want?” he demanded.

“I want your ship.”  

“Well, I gotta problem with that request.”

You felt the knife press deeper into your skin, and couldn’t help the cry of pain that escaped.  Yondu’s eyes met yours for a moment, then flitted back to the man behind you.

You vainly pulled on the man’s arms, but it was no use – he was too strong for you.

“You’re in no position to bargain, unless your ship is worth more to you than this woman’s life.”

The man started to drag you backwards, and you struggled fruitlessly to get away.  You heard a quad blaster fire from somewhere behind you, then the man’s grip slackened.  Before you could react, you felt his knife leave a fiery trail across your neck and shoulder.  

You heard Yondu yell your name, but you couldn’t respond. Everything went black, and you slid to the floor.  

A few moments later, you heard Yondu’s voice above you.

“Don’t do this to me, Y/N!  Don’tcha dare!  I swear I’ll kill ya if ya die.”

Your eyes fluttered open and you saw Yondu’s face hovering over yours.

“Y/N, can ya hear me?”

“Yeah, I can hear you.  You’re yelling loud enough for the dead to hear you.”

He breathed a shaky laugh, and said, “Yeah, she’s fine.”

“Cap’n, we still need to check ‘er out, make sure she’s okay,” interjected Tullk, who tactfully ignored Yondu’s outburst.

Yondu scooted down to let Tullk kneel down next to you.  You flinched as he carefully removed your Ravager coat, revealing the bloody tank top underneath, then examined your neck and shoulder.  

“How’re ya feelin’, Y/N?” Tullk asked.

“I’m okay.  It hurts, but not too bad.”

“Good, that’s good,” he muttered, as he kept checking your shoulder, wiping away the blood.

You looked at Yondu and realized he was staring at you.

“What?”

“Oh, er, nothin’.”

“I know you’ve got something to say.  You always do,” you repeated his earlier words back to him.

He laughed, and said, “Ya think yer so clever, don’tcha?”

You smiled wanly in response.

Tullk, who seemed to have ignored the whole conversation, broke in, “Good news.  The cut ain’t as bad as it looked.  The blood made it look a lot worse than it was.  Probably jus’ need a few stitches an’ you’ll be fine.  I think ya jus’ fainted from the shock an’ cause ya’s already weak from the stun gun.”

“That’s a relief,” you said, as Yondu exhaled loudly.

Tullk helped you sit up, as you jokingly said, “Why, Captain, you seem relieved.  Were you that worried about me?”

“Nah.”

“Liar,” you grinned.

He smirked, putting an arm around your back, and one underneath your knees, and replied, “Let’s get ya back to the ship.”

“Please tell me you’re not going to try to carry me.  You’re still as dizzy from the stun gun as I am, and I don’t need to add a concussion to my list of injuries today.”

He didn’t remove his arms, but ordered, “Tullk, go get a stretcher for ‘er.”

“Aye, Cap’n.”

With his arms still around you, and his eyes never leaving yours, he huskily said, “Ya may not want me to carry ya back to the ship, but I don’t think ya want me to stop touchin’ ya.”  

Speechless, you just stared at him with wide eyes.  Tullk, thankfully, chose that moment to return with the stretcher.  

Yondu winked at you, slowly removed his arms, and whispered, “We’ll finish this conversation later,” then stood up beside Tullk.  

You were thankful that the Ravagers chalked up your silence to the pain of being moved to the stretcher and then the Eclector, because you definitely weren’t up to forming coherent words at the moment.

Yondu stayed back to give the other Ravagers some instructions, while Tullk and Oblo carried you to the ship.  You were glad for the reprieve because you had absolutely no idea what you were going to say to him the next time you saw him. You knew, without a doubt, that he would not let the previous conversation go without mentioning it again.  

As much as you hated to admit it, he was right – you  _didn’t_ want him to stop touching you.  You just couldn’t believe  _he’d_  picked up on that, as oblivious as he usually was, and you didn’t know whether he was going to hold it over your head forever, or actually do something about it.  

That thought made you blush, and you closed your eyes, wanting nothing more than to finally reach your quarters so you could think without the other Ravagers around.  

When Tullk and Oblo reached the infirmary, they set the stretcher down, rather a bit harder than you were anticipating.  Just what you needed on top of everything else – a bruised butt.

Oblo helped you stand while Tullk prepared to stitch up your wound, and you walked unsteadily to a chair in the corner.  You weren’t looking forward to being stitched up at all – the thought was making you feel faint all over again – and you closed your eyes.  

“Ya okay?”   _Yondu_.

You opened your eyes to find him standing in front of you.

“Yeah, just not a fan of needles.”

He pulled another chair over to sit beside you, and you blushed, thinking about the last thing he’d said to you.  

He grinned at you, clearly understanding why you were blushing, and said, “Needles make ya blush?”

“Shut up.”

He laughed and picked up your hand, then whispered in your ear, “Ya don’t want me to stop touchin’ ya, an’ I don’t  _wanna_ stop touchin’ ya.  What’re we gonna do about that? ”

You knew your cheeks were bright red, as Tullk walked up and, looking concerned, said, “I hope ya ain’t feverish, Y/N.”

Your face was on fire as Yondu chuckled.  

“Nah, I think she’s just fine,” he told Tullk, with a wink at you.  

Trying to change the subject, you asked Tullk, “How many stitches will I need?"   

Yondu was watching you with an amused expression.  You hated that he knew  _exactly_  what you were doing, and that he also knew  _exactly_  what he was doing to you.  

"Not sure, maybe 'bout twenty?”

“So many?”  You felt faint again, and between the stitches and Yondu sitting beside you, you felt sure you were going to pass out again.  

Yondu suddenly dropped his amused expression and said, “Ya gonna pass out?”

“I… I don’t know…” The room suddenly felt even hotter, and you felt sick.  "Think I need to lay down…“  

You slumped over, but Yondu caught you before you hit the floor.

"I gotcha.” You felt him lift you up onto a table, then heard him ask Tullk, “Can ya do the stitches while she’s lying down?”

“Yeah, that ain’t a problem.”

“Can ya give 'er anythin’ fer the pain?”

Tullk hesitated. “We ain’t really got nothin’ to numb it.  We normally jus’ drink some a that ale that Taserface makes.”

You groaned and Yondu realized you hadn’t actually passed out. Yet.

“Ya hate needles so much that yer gonna pass out before they even touch ya?”

“Shut up.”

“I guess ya heard Tullk.  Ain’t got nothin’ to numb ya, 'cept Taserface’ s brew, an’ I gotta warn ya, it’ll burn like hell goin’ down an’ ya’d probably prefer the needle by the time the taste wears off.”

You groaned again, and opened your eyes to look at him. “Can’t you just kill me?”

He grinned, and replied, “I could, but I’d miss yer pretty face and yer smart mouth.”

You closed your eyes again, and replied, “Just give me the brew. I can’t handle this sober.”

“Ya heard the lady, Tullk.”

He helped you sit up, then Tullk passed you a dirty bottle filled with thick, amber liquid.  You grimaced as you sniffed the contents.

“Bottoms up, darlin’,” he smirked.  

You took a deep breath, swallowed a mouthful of the brew, then started coughing, which caused pain to shoot through your neck and shoulder.  "Ugh, that’s vile!“  

"Told ya.  Ya might wanna drink a little more before Tullk gets to stitchin’, though,” he grinned at you.

“Are you  _enjoying_  this?”

“Not at all, I swear, darlin’.”

You narrowed your eyes at him, then took another drink, which brought on another coughing fit.  

“How do y’all  _drink_  this garbage?”  

“I don’t,” he laughed.  “Tried it one time, an’ it was the nastiest stuff I ever tasted.  I ain’t got plans to ever try it again.”

“Then why in the galaxy did you let  _me_  drink it?”

“Ya asked fer it.  An’ it was either that or get stitched up sober.  Yer choice.”

You thought of the needle again, and took another huge gulp of the brew, which, again, had you coughing.

“Stars above, I can’t drink anymore.”

You handed the bottle to Tullk and said, “Give me a few minutes to let this stuff start working.”

“No problem, Y/N.  Probably won’t take long since ya ain’t used to it.  Jus’ lemme know when yer ready.”

You laid back down and closed your eyes.

“Do I at least get some time off after this?”

“I might let ya off fer a couple of hours.”

“ _A couple of hours_?”  You opened your eyes and instantly regretted it. “Why are there two of you?”

He laughed, and said, “Think it’s workin’, Tullk.”

“Must be.  Ya ready, Y/N?”

“For what?”

“I think that’s a ‘yes’,” Yondu replied.  “Ya can squeeze my hand if ya need to, darlin’,” he told you, picking up your hand off the table.  

“Mkay…”

You managed to stay conscious through two stitches before passing out, though you weren’t sure how you even lasted that long.  

When you next woke up, you couldn’t remember where you were or why you were there.  When you tried to sit up, you quickly remembered your neck and shoulder as the pain from the stitches sent a shock wave through you.  

“How’re ya feelin?” Yondu asked you.

“Hey, Yondu,” you slurred, trying to focus on him.  At least there was only one of him this time.

“Hey,” he grinned.

“Think ‘m still drunk.”

“Yeah, I think ya are.  Ya ain’t used to nothin’ like that brew.”

“No, no ‘m not.  Don’t want anymore.”

“Don’t blame ya.”  

He was grinning at you again, and you told him, “Love your smile. Ya should smile all the time.”

He faltered for a moment, then replied, “Ya think so?”

“Yeah.  Ya should.  Ya should smile  _all_  the time, ‘cause it’s boo… boo-ti-fa…  _lovely_.   _You’re_  lovely.” You swayed on the table, then continued, “I think I’mma sleep now.”  

“Yeah, that’s probably a good idea,” he told you, helping you lie back on the table.  

“Thanks, Yondu,” you said quietly, before closing your eyes.

“Yer welcome.”

“I love ya, ya know?  Dunno if ya knew that.”

“What?”

You fell asleep without responding, and only the sound of your light snores filled the room.  

* * *

 

When you next woke up, you were back in your own bed, with a wicked headache and a dry mouth.  

“Stars above,” you muttered, as you winced at the light in your room, which was set to the lowest setting, but still seemed as bright as the sun.

“’Bout time ya woke up,” you heard Yondu say.

“How long was I asleep?”

“Few hours.”

“Not long enough,” you complained.

“Here, ya need some water.”

You realized he was sitting next to your bed, holding a glass of water and a bottle of aspirin.  You struggled to sit up, and he handed you the glass, then shook two pills into your hand.

“Thanks,” you murmured.

“Yer welcome.  

You took the pills, drank the water, then handed the glass back to him.

“How’re yer stitches?”

“Oh, they’re wonderful, thanks for asking.  I’ve never felt better.”

He sat back in his chair.  “Ain’t lost yer sparklin’ wit, I see.”

“How’d I get in here, by the way?”

He grinned at you, and replied, “I carried ya.”

“Oh.” The sight of his smile brought back a vague, hazy memory.  “Did we, um, talk before you carried me in here?”

“Sure did,” he said, his grin getting wider.

“Oh.  What did we, um, talk about?”

He stretched his legs out and put his hands behind his head.  “Not much.  I jus’ asked how ya was feelin’, an’ ya said ya was still drunk.  Then ya said ya was goin’ back to sleep.  Oh, an’ ya told me ya thought I was lovely.  Nothin’ too interestin’.”

“Oh.  Is that  _all_  I told you?”

“Nope,” he said, grinning even wider than before.

You felt your face go red as you tried to remember exactly what you’d said.   _Surely_  you hadn’t said what you thought you’d said. But the memory was coming back clearer with every passing moment.  

“Oh.”

“Ya ready to talk about it?”

“Talk about what?” you hedged.

“I think ya know what.  An’ we also need to finish our conversation from earlier.”

“Do we?”

“Yeah, we do.”  

“I don’t know, I think I probably need some more rest.” You faked a yawn and attempted to stretch your arms above your head, until you felt your stitches tug.  You flinched, then slowly lowered your arms.  

“Nah, I think yer rested enough to talk.  Unfortunately, Tullk said no strenuous activity, so talkin’s all we can do right now.” He winked, and your face flamed again.

“Well, I was drunk, so I think we can probably blame everything I said on the drink.”

“Hmm… I dunno.  Ya weren’t drunk when ya told me ya cared about me after I’s hit by the stun gun.”

“I had been stunned, too, though. I probably wasn’t thinking clearly.  And I seem to recall you being pretty upset after I was cut.  Is there something  _you_ need to tell  _me_?”

You honestly weren’t expecting an answer, you just wanted the pressure off of yourself, for a few minutes, at least.

He stared at you for a few seconds, while he seemed to have an internal debate with himself, then in a low voice, said, “Yeah, reckon there is.”

Wide-eyed, you just stared back at him.  

He stood up, and told you, “Move over.”

“What?” you asked in confusion.

“Move over, I ain’t gonna hang off the edge of the bed.”

He was taking off his boots, and you realized what he meant.

“Oh.  Okay.” You gingerly scooted over, trying not to pull your stitches, and he slowly climbed in beside you.  

“I thought Tullk said no strenuous activities.”

Yondu chuckled. “There ain’t gonna be none… yet.”

You flushed red again, and he put his arm behind your head. “C’mere.”

You scooted closer to him, until you were surrounded by his arms, snuggled in close, his chin resting against the top of your head.  

“When I saw that knife cut ya, an’ then all that blood…” he stopped, and you felt him shake his head. “I thought ya’s dead.  An’ it hit me then, how much I actually loved ya, an’ how I don’t wanna lose ya.  But I was prepared to keep it to myself… ‘til yer drunken announcement.” You heard the smile in his voice.

“As embarrassing as that conversation is to try to remember, I’m glad I told you.”

“Me, too.” He gently pulled you closer to him, and continued, “Now, get some rest.  Cap’n’s orders.  The sooner ya recover, the sooner we can get ta some strenuous activities.”  

“Then shut up so I can go to sleep.”

He chuckled, then said, “Can I at least get a goodnight kiss?”

You moved so you could look at his face, and smiled softly at him. “I think that would be okay.”

He caressed your cheek with his hand, then kissed you gently.   


End file.
